Sidebar: Schools are familiar with English immersion and other bilingualprogram alternatives.

A federal judge has spoken, and unless California school officials want tospend the rest of their careers in court, they had better find a way toimplement Proposition 227 -- the overwhelmingly-approved June ballotinitiative intended to replace bilingual education with English immersionclasses.

U.S. District Judge Charles Legge refused on Wednesday to overturn themeasure, rejecting arguments that students with limited English skillswould be prevented from learning academic subjects and that the measure was"racially motivated."

Other court challenges are likely, but in the meantime, the law takeseffect August 2. Schools have a responsibility to have a plan ready thatadheres to the statute and that still meets, as best it can, the needs ofindividual students.

While The Chronicle opposed Proposition 227 because if its simplistic,"one-size-fits-all" approach to a complex educational challenge and becausemany bilingual education programs have succeeded academically andlinguistically, it is not easy to sympathize with pro-bilingual educatorswho indicate they will defy the measure. Many of those same pedagoguesignored growing public dissatisfaction with bilingual education, includingsome parents' pleas to more quickly teach their children English.

If those educators had spent as much time mending bilingual education, asthey have spent trying to figure out how to get around Proposition 227, thecrusade to end bilingual might never have succeeded.

Only three of every 10 limited English-speaking students has ever even beenin a formal bilingual program. The rest have been taught mainly orentirely in English, so schools are not unfamiliar with English immersionand other ways to prepare students for instruction in mainstream math,science, literature and other academic subjects.

And even if there are powerful arguments for creating a true bilingual nextgeneration -- as there are -- the clear message of the 61 percent supportfor Proposition 227 was that California voters give top priority tolearning English.

Educators should take every advantage of Proposition 227 exceptions thatallow good bilingual programs to continue, such as going the charter schoolroute or encouraging parents to seek waivers. But reassessment of existingmethods and unequivocal parent backing will only make the programs stronger.**************************************************************Jerry P. BeckerDept. of Curriculum & InstructionSouthern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, IL 62901-4610 USAFax: (618)453-4244Phone: (618)453-4241 (office)E-mail: JBECKER@SIU.EDU